Process of making machine handles



Jan. 11, 1949.

E. s". GEORGE PROCESS OF MAKING MACHINE HANDLES 2 Shdets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1946 INVENTOR. Z 040? 5 Geo v ge BY 1949-: E. s. GEORGE; ,4 ,9

PROCESS O1 MAKING MACHINEIHANDLES.

Filed Aug. 8, 1946 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Fag/Z.

i7 ,INVENTOR.

l guy? 5. 6 60796 HTTIS Patented Jan. 11, 1949 UNITED} STATES PATENT OFFICE Edwin S. George, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a'ssignor: to The Mote-Mower Company, Detroit, Mich.,

a corporation of Michigan Application August 8, 1946, Serial No. 689,213

1 This invention relates to machine or equipmenthandles and in particular to a process of making a handle similar to that described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 631,984 filed November 30, 1945.

One object of this inventionis to provide a process of making a machine or equipment handle from an elongated flat strip of material, preferably sheet metal, by forming strengthening ridges along the opposite long edges of the metal and afterward slotting the opposite ends of the ridged member thus formed and bending apart the arms thus provided to form handle bars at one end and a-yoke-shaped portion at the other end for attachment to the machine or equipment.

Another object is to provide a process of making a machine or equipment handle, as set forth in the precedingobject,wherein the strengthening ridges are formed by the punch and die operation in a press, after which the slotting of the opposite ends of the ridged member is brought about, preferably also by a punch and die operation.

Another object is to provide a process of making a machine or equipment handle, as set forth in the preceding objectaHWherein the bending apart of the slotted endportions is accomplished byplacing the slotted and ridged member on a table having guide portions thereon corresponding in curvature to the curvatures desired upon the finished handle, and then bending the arms adjacent the slotted portions outwardly to 'fit the guide portions on the table. Y

Another object is to provide a process of ;making a machine or equipment handle,';as setforth in the object immediately preceding; wherein the end of the ridged and slotted member opposite the handlebar end is reversely bent around an additional set of guides to bring the ends of the previously bent arms substantially parallel with one another for attachment to'a machine or equipment mounted therebetween, afterwhich the tips of the arms thus formed are'preferably subjected to a flattening operation to'provide ears for effecting a connection to the machine or equipment to which the handle is to be attached.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will become apparent during thecourse of the 1 Claim. (01. 113-416) Figure 2 is a right-hand handle shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 'is a bottom plan view of the handle shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-'section'through one of the handle bars, taken along the line 44 in Figure side elevation of the of the handle shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, taken alon the line 55 in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlargedview of the right-hand end of Figure 3, showing one of the ears for at tachmentto the machine or equipment;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a sheet metal blank from which the handle of Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, is made, according, to the process of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a rear elevation of the partially finished handle made from the blank of Figure 7 after the strengthening ridges on the opposite edges have'been formed and the opposite ends slotted prior to bending them into arms;

Figure "9 is a diagrammatic vertical section through a cooperating punch and die in a press about tolsform the ridged member of Figure 8 from the sheet metal blank shown in Figure '7;

:. Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 after the punch and die have formed the ridged meta. member of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a side elevation, partly in central vertical section, of the structure shown in Figure Figure 12 is a diagrammatic vertical section through a slotting punch and die in a press about to slot one end of-th'e ridged member shown in Figure 8; i i

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 12 but showingthezparts immediately after'the punch and die have formed the slot;

Figure '14 is aside elevation, partly in central vertical section, of the slotting punch and die workpiece shown in Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a top planview of a bending fixture containing a ridged and slotted member of Figure 8; with the slotted ends thereof about to be bent'into a handle bar at one end and a partially formed yoke'portion at the opposite end;

Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15, bu showing'the handle bar portion and the yoke portion completely bent;

Fig ure 1'7 is a diagrammatic end elevation of a machine about to form a tip of one of the yoke arms of Figure 16 into an ear for the attachment of the handle to a machine or equipment Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 17 but Figure 5 is a cross-section through the shaft,

portion of the machine shown in Figure 17 prior to bending the tip to form the ear.

Handle construction Referring'toi'the drawings in=detail=,: Figure 1 shows a rear elevationof a preferred form of the machine or equipment handle, generally the present invention. The handle .I consists of. a shaft portion H having' a central 'web 12' (Figure and lateral strengthening. ribsfor ridges 13 in the form of edgeaflanges having-a rounded connection [4 with the web l2. The upper end of the shaft portion. M is provided with outwardly'bent arms I-5 forming a handle 4 ing the press a second time in a similar manner, the slot 43 being longer than the slot 42 and extending as far as the hole 35. In this manner, the blank has been transformed into a longitudinally flanged and slotted member 44.

The member 44 is then placed upon a bending fixture generally designated 45 and consisting of WFtEblEFAfiHW-ithifiz handle banzbending form 41 designated Ill, made according to the process of ns bar it and having hand grips I! of rubber orthe like mounted upomthe ends of thearms IS. The lower end ofthe shaft-portion H terminates in a yoke portion I8 having armsi l9 curved outwardly as at 2% and:thenncurvedinwardly as at 2i to form paralleli'end; portions 22 having flattened ears 23 at the tips thereof. The. ears 2-3: are provided with holes: 24- for. the reception of pins or fasteners by which the handle I0 is attached-tothemachineorequipment.

Process. of making handle Attire-start of. the processof'making the. handle iii; an elongated blank 25(Figure 7), preferably of sheet: metal,. is; placedbetween locating pins or projections 26 (Figures 9 to; 11) upon a die 2:] with; an" elongated cavity 28. therein shaped to the cross-section fornrdesiredzfor' the outside of the handle shaft ll (Figure 5).. The die 21 is mounteduponthe: bed'of: a conventional press (notshown) and is. provided with bores. 29 fitted with knock-out" plungers 311i ioraexpulsion of the workpiece; The press; platen 3|: whichireciprocates vertically in. guides '32: is provided with a punch. 33 havin -a configuration conforming to the shape. of the:inside1ofi the shaft portion H.

After the blank 25 has been positioned, as shown in Figure 9; the press is operated to. cause the platen 3! and punch" 33' to descend and push the blank 25 into the cavity28, -forming the shaft portion H (Figure 10) with the: side flanges or ridges. is (Figure .5) projecting from the web: I2 thereof and-joinedtheretoby the curved portion 54. After the operation shown in Figure 10 has been performed, the platen-3 I: is retracted, withdrawingthe punch33 -to' the position 'shownin Figure 9, whereupon. the knockout plungers are caused to move upward, ejecting the workpiece.

The workpiece thus formed is now drilled with holes 34 and 35 (Figure 8) at predetermined distances from its opposite ends and is then placed upon adie 35 having an upwardly projecting elongated ridge 3! of across-section conforming to the inside of' the shaft portion H and having an elongated slot: 38 therein. The die 36 is mounted upon the bed (not shown) of a press having a platen 3'9 reciprocable in vertical guides 48 and provided with an elongated thinv punch 46' adapted to. enter the elongated slot 38'. The press is nowoperated to causethe platen 39 to move downward in the guides, thereby causing the elongated punch M to pass through the metal at the end of the blank 25, punching out a: slot 42 (Figure 8) thereiniextending as far as the hole 34. The blank -25 is then. reversed end for end a'nda secondrslot 43.: is iormedzby operatat one end having. curved portions 48 corresponding to the bent portions [5 and also having a locating pin 49 serving as a stop to enter the hole.,3.4..and.properly locate the member 44 upon the table 462 The latter is also provided with a pair oibendingiorms 50 having curved portions 5 I;;corresporiding to the curvature of the outward ly bent portions 20 of the yoke arms IS.

The. end of the table 46 adjacent the bending forms "50' is provided with a tongue '52 carrying aipivot pin 53 passing through the ears -54 of a hinged bending form '55 having curved portions 5.6; corresponding to-- the curved portions 2! of the yoke ar-ms 9.. The hinged-bending form 55 ishingedly' mountediso as to be capable of being swunglfromi-the'inoperative position of Figure 15 to the operativerpositionof Figure 16. In the position-l of.-Figure -15;v the bending form. 55- has itstop surface one level Wither slightly below the: level :of the table 46- soas not to-interf ere with thetpreliminary bending operations thereon.

; With the member 44.- placed in the position shown onthe .bendingfixture. 45 and with the locatingpin 4.9 passing through .the hole. 34 thereof, the portions of. the. member 44 on opposite sides. of-the slot 4.2. are graspedand bent away from. one another i'ntothe dotted line positions shown in. Figure 1'5.- While this is being done, the curved portions of' the bending forms 41 form. the curved portions of the arms [5, the straight ends projecting therebeyond and resulting. in the shape of..the arms I5. shown at the leftehandend'of Figure 16.

In a similar manner, the portions of the member 44 adjacent the slot- 43' are then grasped and bent outward away from one another against the bending "forms 50 into the dotted line positions shown in-Figure' 15', sothat the curved portions- 51 of the bending forms 5|! form the outwardly-curvedportions- 28 of the yoke arms I9. The remainder of the portions are, for the moment; left projecting outward" beyond the bending forms 511 in'the' manner shown in the dotted 'linepositions of Figure 15. The holes 34 and 35 during' these bending operations serve to prevent splitting of the shaft portion I I therebeyond;

The: bending form": 55 'is then swung upward and. to theleft'fromits inoperative position of Figure 5:.to its-operative position of Figure 16, so thatw'it rests upon=the topof the table 46.. The ends of the" yokearms l-Q; Which-have" been previouslyleft projecting outward: in opposite directi'o'ns:substantially'perpendicular to theremainder oi theamembenfl arer now grasped and drawn imvardlyinto. thesolid line positions shown in Figure-'16, thereby causing the curved portions SG-toform-the inward-lycurved portions 2l' upon the yoke arms t9, leaving the end portions 22 projecting substantially parallel to one another tromthe bending fixture 45-v (-Figure 16) The member 44 thus formed is removed from thesbending fixture li -and placed in a forming device 51 to form the ears 23 upon the. end portions. 22 The. forming device 51' consists of a die 58. (Figures 17 and..19.). having. an anvi-l portion 59 projecting horizontally. therefrom. The

surface 60 extending vertically thereon and also extending upward and downward from the supporting surface 6|. The anvil portion 59 is provided with an upwardly extending boss 62 carrying a horizontal pivot pin 63 fastened through spaced ears 64. The latter project horizontally from the rearward end of a clamping member 65 having an L-shaped portion 66 spaced above the surface 6! and away from the abutment surface 69 a sufiicient distance to accommodate the end portion 22. The forward end of the clamping member 65 is provided with a tongue 61 with a slot 68 adapted to receive a swingingclamping bolt 59. The lower end of the latter is provided with a bore I9 receiving a, pivot pin 1| mounted in the die 58 and spanning the slot 12 therein (Figures 17 and 19). The upper end of the swinging clamping bolt 69 is threaded to receive a nut 13 having an operating handle 14 thereon. Cooperating with the foregoing structure is a punch 15 reciprocable Vertically in a bore 16 passing through a guide member 11 and having an inclined forward end 18 thereon positioned at an obtuse angle to the rearward edge I9 of the punch 15.

To form the car 23 upon the end 22, the latter is clamped between the clamping member 65 and the surfaces 60 and BI with the L-shaped portion 66 urging the end 22 against the abutment surface 60 of the anvil 59. The clamping nut 13 is now screwed down upon the tongue 61 to securely lock the parts in the positions shown in Figures 17 and 19. l

The forming device 51 is now operated to cause the punch 15 to move downward. As the inclined portion encounters the horizontal part of the end 22, which projects beyond the die 58 (Figure 19), it forces the latter downward into the position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 19 after which the vertical portion 19 of the punch 15 comes into operation to flatten out the portion thus pushed downward so. that the ear 23 is thus formed against the abutment surface 60 of the anvil portion 59, leaving a partially twisted connecting portion 89 extending between it and the end portion 22. The other end portion 22 is formed with an ear 23 in the same manner, but

in an oppositely arranged forming device 51, re-

suiting in the formation of the second ear as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The two ears 23 are then drilled to form the holes 24 in an ordinary drill press or with the aid of an ordinary punch .and' die. The hand grips ll of rubber or other suitable material are then forced upon the oppositely projecting ends l8 of the handlebar l6 and are cemented or otherwise firmly secured in position, completing the process of forming the handle, except for the usual painting. or surface finishing operations. The latter are; conducted according to conventional methods,-"forming no part of the present invention.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended: claim, for

many changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is: A process of making a machine or equipment handle from sheet stock comprising forming flanges along the longitudinal edg i an elongated strip of sheet stock, form ng apertures through said strip at locations spaced inwardly at predetermined distances from lthe opposite ends of said strip, longitudinally slotting the end portions of the flanged strip as far Jas said apertures, bending the slotted portions'at one end of the strip outwardly in opposite directions to form a cross bar, and spreading apart the slotted portions at the opposite end of the strip to form a yoke portion for attachment to a machine.

EDWIN Si GEORGE.

REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1 Date 271,471 Johnston Jan. 30, 1883 1,486,758 Jerrain Mar. 11, 1924 2,252,126 Kersey Aug. 12, 1941 2,281,923 Davis May 5, 1942 D. 117,693 Kluter Nov. 21,1939

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 52,246 Austria Feb. 26, 1912 

